Report Card: Part One
by N'kala
Summary: It's report card time in the Tracy home!


Title: Report Cards  
Author: N'kala99  
Summary: It's report card time in the Tracy home!  
Disclaimer: They're not mine.  
Rating: PG for language  
Author's Notes: This is my second dive into the realm of the Thunderbirds. I actually got into them after I saw the movie, and really enjoyed reading stories in this fandom from a lot of the authors here. The interaction of the brothers really inspired my muse, so thank you!

Report Cards: Part 1

Scott Tracy sighed heavily as he accepted his report card from his teacher. Opening the envelope, he scanned his grades.

"All A's, huh?" a voice said into Scott's ear from the desk behind him. "Not bad. Your Dad'll be happy."

"All A's and an A," Scott corrected his friend, slipping the report card back into its envelope.

Jason leaned back in his chair and pretended to shake. "Ooh, I think the world is coming to an end. Scott Tracy got an A!"

Scott rolled his eyes at his friend. "Yeah, well, I still say I could have done better."

"So you'll get it next time." The bell rang, and the two boys stood with the rest of their classmates, joining the throng as it surged into the hallway. "Want to go to the mall? I heard Pam's gonna be there."

Scott sighed. "Thanks, but maybe next time. I gotta get home and get my report card to my dad."

He went to his locker and opened it. Jason leaned against the locker beside him, continuing the conversation. "Your dad can wait, man! This is Pam Miller. I hear she's broken it off with Jack. She's primed for you, man."

"As much as I appreciate the thought, no can do," Scott replied. "It's report card day for all of us. My afternoon's booked."

"Doing what?" Jason demanded, confused.

Scott shut his locker and slung his backpack on his shoulder. "Collecting all our report cards and delivering them to our dad."

Jason grimaced. "With your brothers? Good luck, man."

Scott lightly punched Jason on the arm, then headed out of school.

* * *

Scott dropped his backpack in his room and headed back out into the hall. Despite the dubious honor of collecting everyone's report cards, he was actually looking forward to this chore. He found that he had a perverse pleasure in tracking down his brother's report cards; particularly his baby brothers'. They always seemed to find new and interesting places to hide them.

Noises drifted through the hall down to Scott, and he followed them out back into the garden. He saw the sun shining on a light blond head, and he headed towards it.

John was relaxing on a lounge chair in the garden, a goofy grin on his face. Scott stepped into his brother's line of sight, frowning slightly.

"Uh . . . John?" he asked. "What . . . ?"

"Hey, Scott," John replied lightly. "Where you been? You're missing it."

"Missing what?" Scott asked, glancing around the empty backyard.

"Just wait," was John's cryptic reply.

Scott glanced around again, then took a seat on a chair beside John. Just when Scott began to believe that John was pulling his leg, he saw first one, then two distinct figures appear from around the house.

"Alan and Gordon?" Scott whispered. "What have they done now?"

John shrugged, his grin widening. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's got Virgil really ticked off. Just watch."

As Alan and Gordon neared the older boys, they began to look around the yard for some sign of Virgil. They paused beside a large oak tree, then turned to each other and began to laugh.

The younger Tracys couldn't see what the older boys could.

Virgil was creeping ever-so-slowly around the oak tree towards his younger brothers, his face a mask of angry concentration. He paused just before jumping out at them and just waited.

Scott and John watched in rapt fascination as Gordon pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. As soon as he had finished, a distinct tone began to play from somewhere in the vicinity of Virgil's pocket. The older Tracys couldn't make out the tone, but it was clear on the faces of the younger two that they knew exactly what it was.

And what it meant.

A look of horror and shock blossomed on Alan and Gordon's faces as they stared at one another. They glanced around wildly for Virgil, and began to run in opposite directions. Virgil chose that moment to jump out from behind the tree, making a wild grab for his younger brothers and coming up empty. He looked first at Alan vanishing deeper into the trees behind their house, then to Gordon running back around the side of the house.

"YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE, YOU LITTLE BRATS!" Virgil bellowed after them. Glancing after both boys, he decided to run after Gordon.

Scott and John were doubled over with laughter. Scott straightened and wiped tears from his eyes.

"That's better than TV," he commented. "Of course, that means that I'm going to have to chase them, too. You got your report card for me?"

John lifted it into the air. "I'm gonna stick around out here a little longer, but challenge you to a race later?"

Scott grinned. "You're on. Drag Strip Five?"

"Of course."

Scott took John's report card, then decided to find Alan while Virgil hunted down Gordon. He trekked across the yard and into the lightly wooded area behind their house, keeping his eyes and ears focused on the slightest sounds and movements.

After about ten minutes of walking through the trees, Scott decided he needed to change tactics. Alan had spent his entire life running from his brothers; enough to know how to hide and not get caught.

Retreating, Scott returned to the oak tree that Virgil had hidden behind and climbed up into the low branches of the tree to wait.

He didn't have to wait long. Alan's blond head reappeared from the trees, cautiously scanning the backyard. He was so focused on finding Virgil that he never noticed Scott.

Fully aware of the show he was giving John, Scott waited until Alan passed below him, then leapt to the ground, snagging Alan's shirt the instant his feet touched down. Alan let out a startled yell and began to thrash around, desperate to get free.

"Easy, easy Sprout," Scott said. "It's just me. Virgil went around front."

Alan stopped and stared up at Scott, confused. "Scott? What do you want? I didn't do it."

Scott frowned. "Didn't do what?"

"I don't know!" Alan exclaimed. "Whatever it is you think I did!"

Scott rolled his eyes. "Relax, Alan. You got your report card today. Where is it?"

Alan's blue eyes widened innocently. "Report cards? We did? My teacher must have forgot."

Scott narrowed his eyes. "Alan . . ."

"Really!" Alan insisted.

Scott took a deep breath. "Virgil! Hey, Virgil!"

Alan began to pull on Scott's hold, but couldn't free himself. "No! No, okay! Okay! Geez, take a joke, will ya?"

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his report card, handing it over to Scott. Scott took it, then gave Alan another look.

"What did you guys do to Virgil, anyway?" he asked.

"Alan!"

Alan began to tug earnestly against Scott now. "Later, Scott, please! You got what you wanted, now let me go!"

Scott released Alan, watching as his youngest brother vanished once more into the trees. He turned to see Virgil rounding the side of the house, eyes scanning the yard once more.

"Virge!" Scott called. "Report card!"

Virgil ran up to Scott. "In my backpack, Scott. In the living room. Have you seen Alan?"

"Yeah, but he took off again," Scott answered. "What happened?"

Virgil's face turned red, and Scott wondered if a part of it was from embarrassment. "Nothing. Look, I gotta find Alan. Which way did he go?"

Figuring Alan had enough of a head start, Scott pointed in the direction Alan had taken. Almost instantly, Virgil took off.

Giving John a wave from across the yard, Scott jogged back to the house for the living room and Virgil's report card. Four down, one to go.

Virgil's backpack was lying on the couch; Virgil had probably thrown it there the instant he'd gotten home. Scott found the report card easily enough, then turned around. Gordon had vanished, and Scott wasn't sure where to begin his own search.

When Jeff Tracy had first asked Scott to collect his brothers' report cards, it had been fairly easy. Gordon would try and hide his in different places in his room, then later the house. One favorite spot of Gordon's was the top of the second floor hall closet.

Scott headed straight for the closet and inspected it from top to bottom.

Nothing.

Scott frowned, then moved to the room that Alan and Gordon shared. He doubted it would be in there, but he had to find a place to start.

The bedroom was a mess; clothes were strewn across unmade beds and on the floor. Scott knew their father hadn't been to their rooms in awhile; if he had been, then he would have issued the directive that the room be cleaned.

Nearly an hour passed before Scott finished searching through the mattresses and sheets of his younger brothers' beds, under clothes, through drawers and the closet, and just about every single niche, nook, cranny, and secret hole in the wall that Scott could find. Despite all his searching, however, he found no sign of Gordon's report card.

Scott stood and stretched his aching back, casting his dark eyes around the room. Unbidden, they fell on Gordon's backpack, sitting innocuously next to the door. A strange thought surfaced in Scott's mind.

"Did he . . . Nah, too obvious." Scott began to leave the room, but stopped. His curiosity compelled him to kneel down and open the bag.

Sure enough, tucked between the pages of a math book, was the familiar envelope with Gordon's name on it. Grinning in triumph, Scott stacked the envelopes together and headed down to his father's office. He would deposit the envelopes on his father's desk, then go seek John out for the race he'd promised.

END


End file.
